The Return of the Past
by tallyho
Summary: REWRITTEN Massie and Claire move to London and attend Covengton Boarding School after their devastating breakups. Now it's eleventh grade and the girls have a few surprises ahead of them, starting with the new transfer students from Westchester.
1. one

Massie Block sat on the bed in her dorm room that she and her best friend Claire shared. She stared out of the window into the beautiful, cloudless sky. She was very happy that her mother specifically asked for a room with a view when she sent Massie to boarding school three years earlier. It was the evening before all classes started for the new academic year. It was known as orientation for the new students and to the returning students, it was just a back-to-school assembly where everyone would be re-briefed about the rules and regulations. Massie smoothed her outfit for what seemed like the millionth time. All she needed now was someone to rate her, giving her the assurance that she looked as perfect as she felt. As if she could read her mind, Massie's best friend and reigning Beta, Claire rushed through the door to the room #416, Brighton Hall.

"Rate me." Massie asked of her friend.

Claire grabbed her hairbrush and spoke into it as if it were a microphone.

"Massie Block is wearing a purple Chanel shirtdress paired with White BCBG leggings. On her feet are her latest custom-made purple Jimmy Choos. Accessories include a white and purple Guess bangle and diamond Chanel studs adorn her ears. Lets see… a 9.7! To become a 9.9, more cherry-plum MAC lipgloss is necessary."

"Thanks!"

"Mass! Don't forget your cell! I'll be down in a few, chica!"

"I'll wait Claire-bear." Massie yelled from down the hall.

While waiting in the common room, Massie thought about her other three best friends. Hailey and Yarrah were arriving at Covengton around midnight and Callie was probably in her room lazing about with Harry. Massie checked her makeup in her YSL compact mirror. As usual, she looked fabulous. Massie decided to call James while waiting for Claire. After three rings, he answered.

"Hey babe."

"Hey yourself. Listen, I'm waiting for Claire and I was wondering if you could come meet me. Oh, bring Austin too please, love."

"Sure thing babe. I love you."

"Aww Jamesy-poo, I love you too." She smiled to herself, knowing that James hated that nickname she gave him. With that, she hung up and waited about five minutes when a pair of soft, smooth hands covered her eyes.

"James! Puh-lease don't do that! You'll ruin my eye shadow!"

James spun her around quickly, capturing her lips in a short, sweet kiss.

"But," she continued, a smile brightening her face, "I'll more than take that as your apology."

Draping his arm around her, James and Massie waited on the couch of the common room while Austin went to check on his girlfriend of two years, Claire.

"Austin, NO!" Claire giggle-screamed.

Around the corner, you could see the two coming, Austin carrying Claire bridal-style.

"Um, do I even want to know?" Massie asked.

"Well," Claire started as she pounded against Austin's chest, demanding to be put down, "he said that if I wasn't done by the time he counted to ten, he'd take me down to orientation just the way I am. So, I was rushing to apply my last coat of mascara when this big bloke came in." She finished, wedging herself free from his grip and childishly sticking her tongue out at him.

"Well, I have been known for sweeping the ladies off of their feet." Austin joked, pulling Claire into a hug.

"Oh God," Callie Hastings' British voice spoke, "I leave you two for one summer and, when I come back, you're going all Teenage Crush III on me? What happened to being independent, strong females?"

"Geez Cal, save it for Harry, won't you?" James spoke, irritated at Callie's feminist rant.

" 'Geez Cal, save it for Harry'," Callie mocked, glaring at her best friend's boyfriend.

"Enough, both of you! Do you really want to start the school year at each other's throats?" Massie asked, looking sternly at both her boyfriend and her best friend.

"Fine." they mumbled in unison.

"Okay," Claire said, after an awkward moment of silence, "let's go to orientation! I really don't want those freshmeat grabbing all the great seats."

Following their friend's advice, the entire group left the common room for the amphitheater on the first floor.

* * *

Principal Edwards sat on the stage of the amphitheater waiting for the students to shuffle in. At last, when the majority of the school's population filled the area, she stood and started her back-to-school speech, mentioning the rules and regulations many times for the benefit of the new students. Concluding her speech, she introduced the school to the six transfer students.

"I would now like to introduce six very special students who have transferred from the Briarwood Octavian Country Day School in Westchester, New York. Please join me in welcoming Kristen Gregory, Dylan Marvil, Alicia Rivera, Josh Hotz, Cameron Fisher and Derrick Harrington to Covengton Academy!"

Upon hearing those names, Massie Block and Claire Lyons' hearts stopped. They glanced at each other and then the people on the stage, blinking as if to see if they really were there or, if it was just a figment of their imaginations.

"C-Claire, um, do you see them too?" Massie asked, her voice shaking uncharacteristically.

"Um, yeah Mass." Claire replied, squeezing her best friend's hand.

The girls were so shaken up because, there on the stage, in the flesh was the ghosts of their past, Derrick Harrington and Cameron Fisher, a major part of why they left Westchester in the first place.

"Now," Principal Burns continued, "I would like to invite the class president of the eleventh grade, Massie Block, to welcome these new students."

Massie regained her composure and, with an encouraging nudge from Claire, she rose to her feet and, with a poise and elegance that no other girl possessed, she sauntered towards the stage which was located to the front center of the area.

Putting on her best I-love-you-all-even-though-you-know-I-hate-you smile, She turned towards her former friends and welcomed them.

"Hi you guys. Well, I really don't have much to add after Principal Edwards' amazing speech. All I have to say is, on behalf of the entire eleventh grade class of Covengton Academy, I hope you all feel welcome and make yourself at home." With one last fake smile, Massie made her way off of the stage and back to her seat.

Once out of the spotlight and into the darkness, she collapsed into her seat.

"Claire," she whispered.

"Yeah Mass?"

"I'm in the mood to go clubbing and forget that these bitches are even here."

"I know exactly what you mean... Hey! Why don't the six of us go out. You, Me, James, Callie, Harry and Austin! It'll be fun." she whispered, the smile evident in her voice.

"Mm... Where will we go? I know that the House of Blues is apparently having some kind of amateur showcase tonight... It might be fun." Massie said, her mind already putting together the perfect club outfit.

* * *

AN: Okay, well I know I've pretty much abandoned this story. I'm so sorry for that... But, I promise to update this story and hopefully finish it over this summer but, I need feedback so, please read & review :)

3 Kayla

PS: I'll post pictures of the characters on my profile later... okay?


	2. two

Massie, Claire and Callie crowded in Claire and Massie's bathroom, prepping for their night out. Each girl looked stunning and, as they did their customary rating of each other's outfit, it was revealed that they themselves thought so.

"First up," announced Massie, like a game show host, as Claire swiveled in front of them, using her 'model' pose which consisted of pouty lips and blank eyes, "is Claire Lyons in a gorgeous grey thigh-length dress from Juicy Couture and, it is paired with purple leggings from Victoria's Secret. Her hair is in its natural curls, adding a touch of playfulness to this chic look. She is wearing jeweled multi-coloured pumps by Dior. Her makeup is mainly natural, save for a swipe of MAC's Dazzleglass in Love Alert. Her accessories of choice are a pair of retro silver chandelier earrings from Gucci and her gorgeous tennis bracelet from Swarvoski, a gift from Austin. Tonight, she's using her black and silver purse from Topshop. In total, I give her a 9.6."

"Thanks M." Claire replied, while searching for her phone.

"Okay, I'll go next." Stated Callie.

"Now, we have the gorgeous Callie Hastings in a Milan-styled tank dress from Bebe. Her signature black leather jacket, also from Bebe, is casually slung across her shoulders. Completing this look is a pair of black stilettos from Bebe. White Gold chandelier earrings and her diamond Rado watch are her accessories of choice. Smoky eyes, ruby red lips and curly hair give her an air of mystery. I say a 9.5, no changes necessary."

"Okay, lemme do you Mass," Callie volunteered, surveying her friend's outfit.

"Massie Block is sporting a spanking new black dress from Bebe. It is solid black on the top but, the skirt part of it consists of different materials giving it a haphazard feel, even though we all know how much planning went into this look. Massie's keeping it simple tonight, wearing only her white gold Tiffany & CO. earrings and her signature charm bracelet, also from Tiffany's. Neutral tones draw attention to her flawless skin and give her an air of innocence. I think a 9.6 is fitting for this look."

After rating their outfits, the three friends made their way to the lounge where they found their respective others.

* * *

Greeted by the familiar smoky air of the House of Blues, Massie noticeably relaxed. _This is London, not Westchester_, she reminded herself, _this is my turf_. Taking a table over looking the stage, the group relaxed, sipping their drinks.

Massie stared at the half empty Brandy Alexander in front of her and, she finally let her mind wander to the one person she couldn't think about when fully sober. Massie considered her mind to be a library. Filed into the deep recesses were all the people she met and her memories. Encaged in the restricted section was Derrick Harrington and every single memory she had of him, which were both things that she had been desperately trying to forget for years. She closed her eyes and let herself indulge her favorite memory of him. It had been around the time Nina Callas entered her life, stirring up drama and trouble.

_Massie reached for the M brooch on her lapel and unpinned it. Then, she leaned in toward Derrick and grabbed him by his soccer jersey. It was wet with sweat, but she pinned it on him anyway._

"_What's this?" Derrick pulled his shirt away from his chest and looked down at the brooch._

"_Its your MVP pin. Just without the V or the P. Its way cuter than those boring silver ones your coach gives out."_

"_Thanks." Derrick managed to smile without holding his face. "I'll wear it forever."_

"_Promise?" Massie asked._

"_Promise." Derrick said._

_And she believed him._

She smiled fondly at the memory and drained the remainder of her drink. Glancing over at Claire, Massie smiled to see that she wasn't the only one doing some heavy thinking. She tipped her glass towards Claire and nodded her head, showing that she understood what she was going through.

* * *

After a few more drinks and a couple of dances, the entire group of friends grew tired. As they walked back to Covengton, James and Massie strayed to the back of the group. A gentle breeze blew a strand of her hair into her face. Moving it with his feather touch, James murmured in her ear,

"You know, I've just realized something."

"What might that be?" Massie asked turning to face him, still holding his hand.

"I've just realized what a lucky bastard I am. I've got the most gorgeous girl in Europe walking with me."

"I'm flattered." Massie blushed, her cheeks flushing pink.

"You're so beautiful when you blush." James said, leaning in to kiss her.

* * *

As she stumbled out of bed the next morning, Claire glanced at the alarm clock. _Shit_, she thought to herself. It was 7 o'clock and, given the time they took primping and talking with the other girls, she and Massie barely had enough time to get ready and get to class on time. She looked over at her roommate only to find her still sleeping. Sighing, Claire trudged towards Massie's bed and braced herself for the cuss she would get for her following actions.

"MASSIE!" she screamed, right in the brunette's ear. Massie finally woke up after Claire screamed shrilly in her ear for two more minutes.

"What?" The brunette beauty grumbled, obviously peeved that she'd been robbed of her sleep.

"M, it's seven!"

Upon hearing this, Massie threw back her covers, suddenly fully awake. She rushed out of her bed, heading straight for her closet. As Claire bathed, she frantically flipped through her closet, mentally kicking herself for not choosing her outfit the previous night. Finally, she decided on a pair of black skinny jeans from True Religion, a black and white studded tank top from Bebe and the leather jacket James bought for her in Paris.

Seeing that Claire was finished in the bathroom, Massie ran in, quickly bathing herself and washing her hair. By the time she finished blow-drying it, she still saw that Claire was searching for an outfit.

"You should wear your dark wash Sevens jeans, I'll lend you my pink Guess tank and, you remember that vest we bought in Topshop?"

"Yeah," Claire replied, "the grey one with the large buttons?"

"Yup," Massie snapped her fingers, indicating that Claire was right, "that one. It'll all look amazing, trust me."

"Thanks M," Claire smiled, taking her friend's advice.

After dressing and applying their makeup at lightning speed, the girls rated each other and rushed out of the door towards the main hall. They arrived to see Callie, Yarrah and Hailey chatting near the entrance, holding two coffees for Massie and Claire. When they reached their friends, there was a lot of hugging and screaming, mainly from Yarrah and Hailey, and, they each quickly recapped their summers. As the bell rang, all of the girls rushed to their respective homerooms. Claire and Yarrah were in 101, Callie in 102, Hailey in 103 and Massie in 104.

As Massie reached the door of her homeroom, she saw James near it, obviously waiting for her.

"Well, what a pleasant surprise." Massie smiled, giving him a chaste kiss. "How'd you know this was my homeroom?"

"Well, all of the students' timetables are posted on the school's website so I just peeked at yours earlier." James replied, smiling sheepishly.

"Aww," Massie cooed, moving closer, "if you weren't my boyfriend, I'd think you're stalking me."

"If I weren't your boyfriend, would I still have permission to do this?" James asked, before kissing her passionately.

After two minutes, Massie broke the kiss, a little light-headed. "Most definitely," she smiled, waltzing into her classroom, James trailing behind her like a puppy.**

* * *

Okay so… be honest… did it stink? Did you love it? I need feedback!**_** xoxo k**_


	3. three

Here you go... Chapter 3!

* * *

By the time lunch rolled around, Massie was ravenous. She combed through the different options Covengton offered for lunch and picked a hamburger, deeming it the most edible food on display. She quickly paid for her meal and strutted towards table eighteen.

A few steps away from her table, Massie was intercepted by no one other than her principal.

"Miss Block." A flicker of annoyance passed through Massie's eyes but she forced herself to be civil. She turned to her principal and smiled.

"Yes Principal Edwards?"

"May I please have a word?"

"Sure thing, let me just set my tray down and we could talk."

"That would not be necessary. Miss Block, I'm sure you know our new students." Principal Edwards gestured behind her where Massie now noticed the exes (both in the form of boyfriend and best friend) from her previous life in Westchester.

"Um yeah… I guess you could say that. Why do you ask?" Massie asked.

"Massie, I was hoping that you would do me a large favour by spending your lunchtime with these new students, explaining to them the standard things… I would do this myself but I feel it would be easier for them to understand if a comrade was explaining it. You don't mind, do you?" She looked at Massie, as if daring her to say that yes, she did indeed mind.

Instead of voicing her true opinions on the matter, Massie just grinned at her principal once more, told her it was no problem, and beckoned to her new charges to follow her to table eighteen.

"Pull a chair if you want to sit." Was the only thing Massie told them as she sat in her customary seat, squashed between Claire and James. Claire nudged her in the ribs and gave her a what-the-fuck-is-happening-and-why-aren't-you-telling-me-what-this-is-all-about look as their ex friends pulled chairs to sit on.

"I'll explain later, when the trash isn't here." Massie supplied.

"So…" Yarrah started, an obvious attempt to break the tension at the table.

"I'm Callie." Callie offered, smiling.

Massie and Claire both gave her a sharp look, instantly killing the smile.

"Well M, we finally came up with two options." Hailey supplied, a smile playing at her lips.

Massie stared at her, confused.

"Oh God, you know what I'm talking about. The Justin Thing. Rings any bells?"

A look of comprehension dawned on Massie's face, followed by her trademark smile. "Well, what are they?"

Hailey gleamed, getting into her scheming mode. "Well, we concluded that we could place an ad in the paper under his name and say he was a hot young blonde looking for some fun and include his number saying they could call any time they want… even though I think that's being too easy on him."

Everyone except for the NPC stared at her, as if she were a deranged lunatic.

"Lemme explain," Claire started, her eyes shining with excitement. She leaned towards the boys, trying to exclude her old friends from the conversation. "You guys remember Justin Hadley, right?" After receiving blank looks from her audience, she continued, "Oh Jeez, he was the guy who totally dicked Yarrah over."

"Oh yeah," James said, "he tried to take a pass at my Massie, didn't he?"

"Yup. Anyways, TPC and I came up with two perfect ways to annihilate him but, the floor's open to suggestions."

"Well," Austin started, "I know that what you all have proposed is entirely too generous. I would burn all of his clothes and handcuff him to the flagpole." As everyone stared at him, he added "What? I can be a bitch too." Almost everyone at the table burst out laughing and Claire gave him a quick peck on the cheek and whispered something in his ear that caused him to grin like an idiot.

"What happened my friend?" Harry Connelly asked his bud over the laughing, "You look like if Claire said she was going to give you a blow job from under the – Hey! Callie love, that hurt!"

"Well, _darling_, even though you are extremely hot, you can also be a big perverted ass. That was punishment for acting like on in front of me and my friends."

Everyone burst out in guffaws again as Callie and Harry bickered like a man and his wife, pointedly ignoring their unwanted guests.

* * *

Derrick Harrington, Cameron Fisher and Joshua Hotz had their hands clenched in fists under the table, glaring at Claire and Massie's significant others. One thought was running through their heads: I'm such an idiot. Of course the three of them were idiots. They hadn't expected that in three years their old flames would go and find other people to love. Sure, they always knew the girls were gorgeous and highly sought after but still, nothing could have prepared them for this.

Alicia made another attempt to try and include herself in the conversation she was so rudely snubbed from. "Hey Mass, remember that time when we all snuck up to Briarwood to se the guys?"

Everyone on the table turned to face her. Massie simply raised one eyebrow and clearly enunciated, "If it were important I would remember it but, sadly, I do not recall myself doing any such thing. Kindly keep you hallucinations to yourself." Her voice was so cold, it could've made Jacob Black's blood crawl.

"So…" Austin said, trying to get the conversation moving again.

"…So?" Claire smiled, seeing what he was doing.

"So, so, so!!" They mock-sang.

Massie and James laughed, looking at each other with what could only be thought as love in their eyes.

"Remember when we first came up with that?" He asked.

"Like if I could ever forget. Best moment in Geography. Ever." Massie smiled, noticeably happier.

She had picked her words carefully to jab Derrick's memory, not that she would've ever admitted it. For, if her memory served her right, the first time she and Derrick had kissed was on their Geography field trip to Lake Placid.

Not that she cared.

* * *

Probably my worst work... It's also really short... 992 words :(. I'm sorry for not getting this to you sooner but... it's a long story... Also, I want to thank everyone who reviewed the past two chaps... You're awesome dude!

xoxo k


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